The year was1973, it wasn't good academically,
my school held no desire,
but his zest for adventure was on fire,
I guess I should have told dad and mom,
but I was off having summer fun
A Regina bus ticket, I decided to skip it,
jumping off the bus in Salmon Arm, filled my stomach on a cherry farm,
and on that road I stuck out my thumb, not having a clue what next you come.

A farmer let him ride in the box, through the back window they talked,
he swore at the slow Alberta drivers,
he asked for gas money, so I gave him a fiver,
he drove to Revelstoke, where he bought me a burger and coke.
The day was turned on, with a beautiful warm sun, as his adventure had begun.
A dog and two hippies pick him up after, there guys and a dog filled that truck with laughter,
we laughed about their new neighbour and all their mischievous capers,
Cow and outhouse tipping mailbox baseball, all country flavoured pranks,
they drooped me off in Golden and I said thanks,
I watched them drive into the golden highway sun, pranks and laughter still not done.

I walked the highway for an hour, I walked in the ditch smelling the flowers,
I watched a beaver enter a culvert, what a beautiful day! Just perfect!!!
I walked besides a stream, I walked a log like abeam,
halfway across the log started to roll, I looked for something to grab and hold,
one foot went this way, and the other went that,
that's when the log shifted and I went splat, backpack and all
I survived the fall, but my backpack was soaked and I was choked
I checked the spot for spies, as I took off my clothes to dry, putting them on huge boulders to dry,
when a family of hikers happened to pass by, they looked sheepish and embarrassed,
but I was the one with the bare ass, they quickly headed for the bush, I just turned over to tan my tush,
rain clouds started to grow, the wind started to blow, and when I got to the road, I found a trucker checking his load, I asked him if he would like some company?, He said hop in we are off to Calgary.

He told me about his life which was his work, His name was Johnny, but everybody called him Turk,
he drove this route everyday for ten years, as he shifted through his sixteen gears.
I watched the sunset in the side mirror, an old memory became clearer,
of a six year old who couldn't get his way, As he became a rascal, an adventurer, a runaway.